


Nomenclature

by SCFrankles



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: 221B Ficlet, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-24
Updated: 2013-06-24
Packaged: 2017-12-16 01:24:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/856188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SCFrankles/pseuds/SCFrankles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“Why ‘Sherlock’?” John asked as he settled down into his armchair. “I’ve never come across anyone else with Sherlock as a given name."</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nomenclature

**Author's Note:**

> A 221B - a story in 221 words, final word beginning with "b". Holmes and Watson created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Sherlock and John property of Moffat and Gatiss, and the BBC.
> 
> 221B form invented by [KCScribbler](http://kcscribbler.livejournal.com/) ([KCS](http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4162281/1/221B)).

John collected Sherlock’s post on the way up to 221B. Three letters: addressed to ‘Shurlock Holmes’, ‘Shylock Homes’ and, most impressively of all, ‘Charlotte Hyams’.   
  
Sherlock was lying on the couch thinking, so John left the mail on the coffee table.   
  
“Why ‘Sherlock’?” he asked as he settled down into his armchair.   
  
Sherlock didn’t reply.  
  
“I’ve never come across anyone else with Sherlock as a given name. Did your mother see you for the first time and just think ‘that baby looks like a Sherlock’?”  
  
Sherlock sighed.   
  
“My full name is an anagram.”  
  
“ _Really_?” asked John, but Sherlock had returned to his thoughts.  
  
  
  
  
It had been a frustrating three hours.  
  
“The best I can do is:  _He’ll shock mores_ ,” said John.  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“You know, ‘mores’, as in ‘conventions of society’.”  
  
“Thank you, John,” said Sherlock as he sat up. “English is one of the languages I speak.”  
  
John glanced down at his scribbled notes. “Or there’s:  _Hell shocks Rome_. Your parents weren’t Catholics who converted to Satanism, were they?”  
  
Looking up again, he found Sherlock silently laughing.  
  
John stared at him. And then the penny dropped. “Oh, you-”  
  
“I needed something to occupy you so you wouldn’t distract me,” grinned Sherlock.   
  
He got up and headed for the kitchen.  
  
“Shame your parents  _weren’t_  Satanists,” muttered John. “You would have suited ‘Beelzebub’.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thinking about it, the most apt anagram of 'Sherlock Holmes' from John's point of view would be 'more shell shock'...


End file.
